PM wants Montek Singh Ahluwalia as Finance Minister?

Published: Sunday, May 17, 2009, 18:47 [IST]

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New Delhi, May 17 (ANI): As the Congress core committee brainstorms over the issues related to government formation, there are reports that Dr. Manmohan Singh wants deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia as the next Union Finance Minister.

Ahluwalia will have to enter the cabinet through the Rajya Sabha route, the same as the Dr. Singh, CNN-IBN reports.

With party leaders insisting that the UPA does not need the support of any new big allies, the Congress is also likely to keep key portfolios with it.

There is also a demand from within the party to bring Rahul Gandhi into the Cabinet especially after his successful campaigning strategies, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.

According to the sources, Rahul is likely to be included as the Rural Development Minister in the Cabinet.

Sources revealed that the new Cabinet would include several young MPs.

The other young MPs apart from Rahul who are likely to be inducted into the Cabinet include Sachin Pilot, Jitin Prasada, and Sandeep Dikshit.

The major UPA allies such as the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK), the Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) also are expecting ministerial berths.

Reports claimed that the UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has already called up Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad to attend the Cabinet meeting.

There are speculations doing rounds that the External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will be shifted to the Finance Ministry, which the Manmohan Singh has been handling so far.

Commerce Minister Kamal Nath is likely to be shifted to the External Affairs Ministry.

Home Minister P Chidambaram and Defence Minister A K Antony are likely to continue in their posts. Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal may get the Commerce Ministry. (ANI)